Start of Internet Censorship

Editor’s comment: When I bought my PC I was under the impression that it was my PERSONAL COMPUTER. Now it seems that it’s not. Under a new law as shown in the article below it seems that information on your PERSONAL computer is not private and that Eircom and presumably anyone, including government agencies, can access your PERSONAL computer at any time without a search warrant of any type to see what you have stored there.

We are to believe that this is simply to stop ‘illegal’ downloading of music etc to save multi billion dollar corporations a few quid. Do they think people are really that stupid as to believe this will stop there?

This is an infringement of your human right to privacy. As far as I am aware it is still a criminal act to tamper with a person’s PERSONAL mail. Even post office employees cannot do so. Why then is it not illegal to enter someone’s computer remotely without their permission and without just cause or a warrant?

If this is about stopping the illegal downloading of music etc then why don’t Eircom do as they’ve done with Piratebay and simply block the site?

Surely these are far more detrimental so society than a few kids downloading music costing giant corporations a few dollars?

People must realise that this is simply a slippery slope to complete control over the Internet by the authorities.

What constitutes a crime?

Perhaps sites critical of the EU? Perhaps sites critical of government, the bankers or any other group who are criticised with just cause? Are we all criminals now under this law? Have we to give up, not only our right to privacy but also our right to free speech and liberty under the guise of the illegal download of music?

Give me a break! This is simply a further restriction on Internet freedom simply due to the fact that the propagandist mainstream media are losing the infowar battle.

We must persevere and use the net to our advantage whilst we still have it. We must increase our efforts to spread the word of freedom and humanity far and wide with more vigour than ever.

We must not bow down to tyranny!

Eircom to cut broadband over illegal downloads

JOHN COLLINS

EIRCOM WILL from today begin a process that will lead to cutting off the broadband service of customers found to be repeatedly sharing music online illegally.

Ireland is the first country in the world where a system of “graduated response” is being put in place. Under the pilot scheme, Eircom customers who illegally share copyrighted music will get three warnings before having their broadband service cut off for a year.

The Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma), whose members include EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner, reached an out-of-court settlement with Eircom in February 2009 under which the telecoms company agreed to introduce such a system for its 750,000 broadband users.

The mechanism by which it operates was challenged in the courts by the Data Protection Commissioner.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton ruled in the High Court that a broadband subscribers internet protocol (IP) address, which Eircom will use to identify infringing customers, did not constitute personal information.

It is understood that, during the pilot phase, Eircom has agreed to process about 50 IP addresses a week. Irma is using a third-party firm, Dtecnet, to identify Eircom customers who are sharing, and not simply downloading, a specific list of its members’ copyrighted works on peer-to-peer networks. The operation of the scheme will be reviewed after three months.

Dick Doyle, director general of Irma, said his organisation could potentially supply Eircom with thousands of IP addresses a week but it was a matter of seeing what the internet service provider (ISP) was able to process.

Infringing customers will be initially telephoned by Eircom to see if they are aware of the activity on their broadband network. If the customer is identified a third time, they will have their service withdrawn for seven days. If they are caught a fourth time their broadband connection will be cut off for a year.

Mr Doyle said international research suggested 80 per cent of people will stop illegal file-sharing if they get a letter from their ISP warning them of the consequences. “We are trying to encourage people to go back to legitimate networks to get their music,” he said.

Record companies are lobbying to have a graduated-response mechanism enshrined in law in other jurisdictions.

Cable operator UPC has resisted requests from Irma to implement a “three strikes” system and the case is in the courts next month. Last night, a spokeswoman for UPC said it does not see any legal basis for monitoring or blocking its subscribers’ activities.